Brian Anderson - The Sword of Truth

“Are you ready?” Lee asked to the others. They nodded. “Then let’s go.”

Lee booted his mount, and the horse broke into a run. Gewey and the others did the same, and they were off like bolts of lightning. Gewey had never ridden so fast. He could feel the sheer power of the animal beneath him, and it thrilled him. He smiled at the thought of anyone thinking they could catch them.

Salmitaya tossed and turned in her bed. The dreams had gotten worse in the past few days. Since her return to Kaltinor, things had become troubled. The other temples had shunned her, even the ones who had once secretly aided her. She still had the governor and lords on her side, but their loyalty was bought. Should Angraal get word of her failure, she would lose everything; it was their gold that kept her in power.

“Maudina!” she yelled. A young girl scurried into the room, rubbing her eyes and trying not to yawn. Salmitaya had hired her to replace Celandine the day after she got back; she didn’t know what had happened to Celandine, but she swore to flay the girl if she returned.

“Yes, Your Holiness?” Maudina said meekly.

“I want some hot tea,” she ordered, sitting up in bed.

“Right away,” the girl replied, dashing off. Salmitaya got up and put on her slippers and a soft cotton robe. She hated the temple at night. The emptiness made her uneasy. The book she had been reading lay open on a small table next to a plush chair. Her thoughts kept returning to Gewey as she distractedly fingered through its pages.

‘Damn that boy,’ she thought. ‘If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll see him beg and scream.’

Several minutes passed and Maudina still had not brought the tea. “Blasted girl,” she muttered. “What’s taking so long?”

“You’ll not be needing a servant, my love,” came a deep voice from just outside the open door leading to the next room.

Salmitaya shot out of her chair. “Who are you?” she demanded. “Show yourself.”

In stepped a tall, lean man dressed in a black shirt and pants with polished silver buttons, paired with an exquisite jacket with impossibly intricate white embroidery. A fearsome curved sword hung from a belt that sat loosely around his thin waist. His face looked young, and his brown curly hair fell to his shoulder. In his hands was a tray with two cups of hot tea. He placed the tray on her bedside table and handed her one of the steaming cups.

“Sit down, my love,” he instructed as he pulled himself a chair from the corner. “We have much to discuss.”

Salmitaya was terrified as she sat back down. “Who are you?”

“You may call me Yanti,” he answered, smiling.

“Well, Yanti,” she said, trying her best to sound unafraid. “You have trespassed in the Temple of Ayliazarah. Leave now or I’ll see you whipped and hanged.”

Yanti looked amused as he blew on his tea. “That’s not very hospitable of you considering I’m here to save your life.”

“What do you mean? Speak sense.”

“You didn’t think your failure would go unnoticed, did you?” he asked in a level tone.

“I…” she stammered with sudden realization. “I was going to report it. I swear.”

“Of course you were. That’s exactly what I told the master. I told him that you would never try to deceive him-especially knowing what would happen if you did.”

“I’m sorry I failed,” she said, desperately trying to hold in her sobs. “I was betrayed. Someone helped the boy escape. There’s no way I could have known.”

“Calm yourself, my love,” Yanti soothed her, holding up his hand. “We already know what happened, and it’s being dealt with. I’m here to offer you a chance to redeem yourself. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“I’ll do anything,” she vowed. Tears began to fall down her cheeks.

“I know you will, my love.” He leaned back in his chair, stirring his tea with the tip of his finger. “The master does not doubt your loyalty, only your judgment. Normally that’s enough to warrant… discipline; especially considering the trust and responsibility you’ve been given. But I’ve convinced him that you deserve a second chance.”

Salmitaya slid from her chair and dropped to her knees. “Thank you!” she groveled. “Tell me what I must do. I swear I will not fail again.”

Yanti sat his tea on the arm of the chair and stood up. “There’s no need for such a display,” he said, helping Salmitaya to her feet. He lifted her chin and tenderly wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief he produced from his jacket pocket. “I’ve left you instructions on the table in your study. You should open them right away, my love.”

Salmitaya nodded her head slowly. Yanti smiled and turned to leave. “One more thing,” he said, glancing back toward Salmitaya. “It would be unfortunate if you failed again. I don’t think I’d be able to intervene twice.” Salmitaya watched silently as he left.

As soon as she heard the door to the main hall close, she ran to her study. Just as Yanti had told her, there was a sealed letter on the table. She opened it and read its contents. By the time she finished, she was weeping again. She looked around the room as if hoping someone might come to save her, and then collapsed in a heap. Eventually, she gathered her wits and went to bed. The dreams that night were the most terrifying yet.

Lee marveled at how hard the horses could be pushed and promised himself to make good on the trip to the northwestern steppes with Lord Broin. They had been riding full speed for more than twenty minutes, and so far he’d seen no sign of ambush. If they didn’t run into one by sundown, he thought it likely they wouldn’t run into one at all. They’d entered the Great Faldon Plains that stretched all the way to the Abyss; though not impossible, hiding an ambush here would be difficult. The tall grass could easily conceal a man, but horses would have to be moved far enough away from the road so as not to be seen. The Plains were sparsely populated, dotted with ranches and farms. The few small towns were little more than trading posts, frequented by drovers and travelers on their way west. A few shallow rivers and streams were the only real interruption in the vast, flat landscape.

When they finally stopped to rest their mounts, they had already covered many miles. Lee looked behind them, pleased with their progress. A series of wells lined the road to Althetas, placed roughly every twenty-five miles to aid thirsty travelers. Lee knew some to be dry from his previous travels, but most made good spots to rest and water their horses.

“It doesn’t look like anyone’s waiting for us,” Gewey observed as his horse drank from a small trough next to the well.

“So far,” Lee acknowledged warily. “But I’d say we’d have to pass two more of these wells before we’re far enough away to be sure. They may still be waiting for us. Hopefully they’re not clever enough to let us pass, then attack us by night.”

“If they’re foolish enough to attack an elf in the dark then let them,” Kaylia said, grinning. “It will be their last mistake.”

“Actually, I think it more likely they’ll ambush us with bows,” Lee replied. “I doubt they’ll want to risk getting too close unless they have to. It’s what I would do.”

The sun was going down, and Lee told them they would be riding through the night. It was fully dark by the time they approached the next well. Kaylia got off her horse, and she and Lee prepared to scout the area. Gewey wanted to join her, but Lee stopped him.

“Protect Dina if something happens,” Lee instructed.

“I don’t need protecting,” Dina argued.